Laura Demeri

Laura Demeri is the founder of Believe Movement Studio. She has her Masters Degree in Exercise Science and Nutrition, Chef training from the Natural Gourmet Institute and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine and Power Pilates. She believes movement in any form brings awareness of the mind, body and spirit. She knows it’s a privilege to witness her students make this connection and the transformation that is destined to follow.  The dream of opening her own studio started back in 1993 when at the end of every long and arduous month as an Accountant the $1M question was “what would you do if you won the lottery?”.  To see it come to fruition; especially in the Woodlawn neighborhood has been absolutely amazing.      She is humbled and inspired by everyone that attends classes at Believe Movement Studio and appreciates the courage it takes to just walk in the door.

Rae Minten

Rae was initially encouraged to try yoga by a friend who suggested that it would help improve her posture. The experience was love at 1st class for Rae. After 19 years of practice, yoga has come to hold a central place for her, offering guidance and support in her emotional and spiritual life as well as her physical well-being. Wanting to share the amazing gifts of yoga, Rae completed a 200+ hour teachers training at Prananda Yoga in spring of 2007 and is a registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance.  In the fall of 2008, she became a certified Pilates Mat instructor with the Pilates Method Alliance.  Feb. of 2009, Rae studied with Judith Lasater becoming a certified Relax and Renew® Trainer.  She is currently involved in her second 200-hour teachers training at One Song Yoga.  Endlessly fascinated with the power and healing qualities of the breath, Rae explores a variety of pranayama (breath work) in her classes. Throughout her practice, Rae encourages you to move towards a place of health, personal acceptance and growth in a safe and tranquil environment.

Eliot Sitt

Eliot began learning traditional Tai Chi Chuan at Reed College in 2003 under instructor Dave Barrett. It was not until he ventured out into the 'real world' four years later with a degree in philosophy did he realize how lucky he was to have such an excellent teacher, one who studied directly under current master and direct Yang family descendant Master Yang Jun. Eliot continued his practice after graduating and began teaching in early 2009 in his hometown of Roseburg, Oregon. His love of tai chi helped him decide to pursue a master's degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, where he will begin studying this fall. He surmises that Tai Chi has helped keep him grounded and sane over the years and knows that it has often been a source of well-being and joy for him. Tai Chi requires no special equipment and can be taken wherever you go, and he hopes to share this privilege with his students. His classes guide students towards learning the entire 103-movement long form with a focus on establishing a strong foundation in solid footwork and an understanding of general Tai Chi principles. When he is not practicing Tai Chi, Eliot also likes playing music, yoga, za-zen meditation, and juggling.

Allison Milionis

Allison discovered the calming affect of the yogic breath while working at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles. Evening yoga classes were a way for her to miss rush hour traffic but over time, she realized that her practice shifted the way she moved through life. Yoga not only developed physical strength, but also the mental strength and flexibility to navigate the stresses of contemporary life. Now a professional writer, she credits yoga for helping her maintain clarity, focus, and a sense of calm. Allison has studied many yoga traditions under the tutelage of exceptional teachers including Howard Davis, Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa of Golden Bridge, and Carry Kim of Tsomo, where she was introduced to Tibetan Yoga. After moving to Portland in 2008,  she completed the 200+ Hour Hatha Teacher Training program at PRANANDA in North Portland.  As a teacher, Allison’s goal is to help all levels of students access and utilize their breath through a series of asanas. She brings to each class a sense of humor, ease and her love for music.

Jean-Pierre Parent

Jean-Pierre Parent has been studying yoga postures, breathing, chanting, and meditation since he found the Bhagavad Gita in a park at ten years old, and informally celebrating the interconnectedness of all things since before he can remember.  He’s studied many styles of yoga in-depth in the US and India, including Vinyasa, Power, Ashtanaga, Iyengar, Hatha, Kundalini, Nidra (deep relaxation) and Nada (the yoga of sound), achieving his 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Certification through Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh, yoga’s birthplace in the Himalayan mountains and a Yoga Alliance International-registered course. Jean-Pierre attended the University of Arizona with a double major in biochemistry and nutrition and continues a passionate studies of physics, biochemistry, religion, nutrition, permiculture, vedanta, bacteriology (the study of the life forms that quite literally run the Earth) and both eastern and western medicine, looking for evidence-based, practical wisdom that can be applied to everyday life.  He is preparing to pursue a Master’s Degree in Yoga Therapy at the Viniyoga Instutute in the Fall of 2012.  JP also started the npo OmInvasion, teaching yoga, ethics, and coping skills in at-risk populations, addiction recovery centers, and youth and adult correctional facilities nationwide. JP has recently finished his first book: Kitchen Sink Farming - Easily and Cheaply Grow and Ferment Your Own Food for a Healthier Now and Greener Future and while looking for a publisher has started his second work: PURE: Be Who You Were Meant To Be with Ancient Yoga Cleansing Practices for the Body, Mind, Heart, and Soul.  He is also a raw food chef and caterer and Ayurvedic nutritional counsellor. JP has taught athletes, kids, the elderly, the incarcerated and returning soldiers suffering from PTSD, and his classes and workshops draw from a wide variety of traditions to achieve observable and quantifiable positive results in all aspects of his students' lives.  Accessible to all and tailored to individual needs, strengths and weaknesses, his teaching style is simultaneously irreverently fun and deeply spiritual, fostering playful curiosity, community, and self-discipline.  In his free time, JP enjoys long walks on the beach and sarcasm.

Saffire Bouchelion

Saffire Bouchelion is a Black Belt Nia instructor who has been passionately practicing Nia for 17 years. He is also a professional performer and musician who has been featured on over 42 CD's, and has opened for several national acts, including Cheryl Crow, Crash Test Dummies, and Barenaked Ladies. His embodiment and transmission of music and rhythm stir profound transformation in his students. Saffire co-founded two experimental dance companies in 1986 and 1989, and has performed with Danelle Hellander Dance Company and Mergence Dance Theater. For seven years he was co-director of the Ecstatic Choir, five at Naropa University where he was also a musical accompanist for dance and movement classes, and taught drumming for continuing education. He has taught drumming and vocal workshops throughout the US, Europe, and Mexico. SHAMANTRA evolved out of Saffire’s life experiences and training, integrating his knowledge of the body, rhythm, and voice. These workshops were developed in the Pacific Northwest, where they are offered regularly. The international expansion of SHAMANTRA began in Budapest, Hungary and Hamburg, Germany in 2006. The expansion has continued at Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico, Venice, Italy and Bali.

Emily Sanderson

Frolic! Life is constantly moving and I can help you move with it! Pilates instructor, yogi, mover and lover of living and breathing.  Student of Anusara Yoga, and certified body-arts –and-sciences  mat Pilates teacher.  In-depth knowledge of kinesiology, anatomy, and physical training.  A movement teacher with over 8 years experience, sensitive to the needs of students of all levels and ages.  Dancer, Performer, and foot percussionist!  Passionate about the intersections of music and dance, flying through the air, and communicating through movement.

Nikki Guerrero

Nikki found yoga through rehabilitation for a back injury in 1996 but it wasn't until she studied pilates that she felt she truly understood the strength and muscle control we could master through dedicated practice. In bringing balance to the core body she began to feel more balanced emotionally and spiritually in her everyday life. Although she has practiced pilates for several years she is new to teaching and is encouraged deeply by her students and their ability to transform. Nikki is also a certified water aerobics instructor and Nutrition Therapy Practitioner and works to bring lessons from both of these arenas onto the mat.

Brigid Flood

Brigid came to teaching yoga after waking up to the fact that time on the mat was her favorite part of the day, and she had always been drawn to teaching various subjects.  When, in 2003, she attended OM's teacher training with Cyndi Lee, she was certain that a life immersed in yoga was right for her. She strives to make her yoga classes deep, challenging and fun and accessible to all. She has studied with numerous notable teachers including Cyndi Lee, Rusty Wells, Brigitte Longueville, and Janet Stone. She also has a BFA from San Francisco State University. She roots her alignment-based teaching both in Buddhist philosophy and in Patanjali's, "yoga sutras" so that the physical practice manifests itself in a calm mental state that helps her students move through their daily lives with more equanimity. In class, she emphasizes correct alignment, deep work and intense relaxation so that the benefits and joys of yoga reveal themselves.

Scarlett Williams

Scarlett Williams graduated in 2008 from Oregon School of Massage, where she focused her studies on prenatal and postpartum massage. Feeling that pregnancy is the root of all that is fascinating about our bodies and our lives, it was easy for Scarlett to establish a deep connection with bodywork for women in all stages of reproductive health. She believes in the vitality of supporting each woman in her own individual decisions regarding her well being. Her background as a childcare professional has lent great insight and experience to her massage work.  Scarlett loves science, nature, art and foreign culture. She travels whenever possible and has had wonderful adventures in Japan, Costa Rica, England, Belgium and Italy, as well as many amazing places throughout North America. In her free time she enjoys, reading, yoga, bike rides, hiking, and being near the water. Summary of Services: Massage: 1 hour $60, 90 min $90 -Each massage is deigned in partnership to address the personal needs of each client. Pregnancy/Postpartum Massage: 1 hour $60, 90min $90 -For pregnancy massage, special care is given to areas of particular importance during pregnancy. After 1st trimester, massage is usually performed with the woman in side lying position. Medical release from a doctor or midwife is needed for a high risk pregnancy. -Postpartum massage focuses specifically on areas of particular importance to enhance the well being of the new mom. Reiki: 1 hour $60, 1/2 hour $30 -Reiki can also be incorporated into any massage upon request for no additional cost, or added on to any service in increments of 30min. for $30. Reiki is a form of therapy that uses gentle hands-on techniques, with the goal of improving the flow of life energy in a person. Reiki (pronounced ray-key) means "universal life energy" in Japanese. Reiki is used much in the same way to achieve similar effects that traditional massage therapy is used, to relieve stress and pain, and to improve the symptoms of various health conditions. Lower cost options: 30 min massage $30  -Client will choose a few areas of the body they would most like to focus on. Although not a full body massage, a 30 min massage will have the same therapeutic effect and benefit of relaxation on the entire person. 30 min hands, feet, face massage $30 -Enhances relaxation and well being by focusing therapeutic touch on hands, feet, and face, which are areas of heightened sensation.

Duane Best

I’ve been teaching Pilates mat and equipment for over 9 years at various studios in Seattle( and now in Portland).  I received my certification in Authentic Pilates in 2002 but believe the “right way” to teach is what is right for the person I’m working with.  My favorite client is one who is willing to be challenged, respects their limitations and wants to have some fun while working out.  I work with people as individuals, with individual needs and goals, and do not try to fit clients into some kind of routine.  I remember my first experiences with Pilates as a client as being very challenging and I’m always impressed by those who take the leap to better body awareness, strength and flexibility.  My life outside of teaching is spent raising my two sons, making art, performing comedy and skating in Roller Derby.